Firstly ePassports, or biometric passports as they are often referred to as, contain a micro-chip and antenna that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology tags to transmit the passport data to a RFID reader. The issue is that the RFID has vulnerabilities in the technology and anyone with a RFID reader can actually get your data from your passport.
More recently governments have stepped up encryption on the data stored in your passport ( all your data including a picture that is stored on the hardcopy of your passport) and we applaud them for doing this. However as you will know any encryption can be decrypted and if it is lucrative for criminals, they will find a way.
Following is an article by the UK newspaper THE SUN#, showing that the UK passport was hacked within four hours.
There is a global rise in identity theft.
Identity theft topped the list for the 13th year running as the most complained about crime in the USA and reported in the 2012 US Federal Trade Commission [FTC] report released in Feb 2013.
So its not a matter of will you be a victim of Identity Theft but when you will become a victim.
We wanted protection that actually works.
That is why we developed active protection.
We developed ARMOURCARD which offers our patented pending* ‘Active RFID Protection’ and is unlike any other passive RFID protections on the market. (such as RFID blocking wallets or sleeves, which can often be penetrated when a hacker powers up a high powered reader^)
ARMOURCARD‘s ‘Active RFID Protection’ jams the RFID signals trying to read your data. So no communication is allowed from reader to passport or passport to reader.
To find out why ARMOURCARD is better go here.
Armourcard is small, convenient & offers the 1st ACTIVE RFID protection solution. Armourcard is similar to the size of a regular credit card and fits into any wallet or travel document holder along with your ePassport.
ARMOURCARD instantly powers up when a RFID reader tries to communicate with your ePassport and will jam the RFID signals…. it’s that simple!
ARMOURCARD even has a capacity skin touch sensitive switch on the front of the card so you can temporarily disable the jamming signal. When you are at a self serve customs or check-in counter you don’t have to take your passports out, just disable ARMOURCARD’s jamming device and scan passports as normal without interference.
Extremely convenient security plus you’re still able to use fast check-in facilities as normal!
Source:
* Australian Patent: AU2013354900 |US patent:9596051| International Patent pending
^ “Passive Shields or metallic wallets – Only reduce the signal strength, this will not block a high-powered RFID reader” –
Source: Credit Card Fraud – The contact-less Generation | Kristin Paget | Chief Hacker, Recursion Ventures. Please note Kristin Paget does not sponsor or officially endorse this website or product, we have only referenced a report that is freely available online to download and read. All credit for the report and its findings go to Kristin Paget.
#Daily Mail UK Hacked ePassport article